Gas-generator.



C. J. GLBFTON.

GAS GENERATOR.

APPLICATION ILED JULY 27, 1912. 1,112,597, Patented 0015.6, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

C. J. GLBFTON.

GAS GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27, 1912.

Patented Oct. 6, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Llg

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE;

omen

J. CLEFTON, OF OW ATONNA, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO THE CLEFTON COM-l PANYOF OWATONN, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION OF MINNESOTA.

GAS-GENERATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led July 27, 1912. Serial No. 711,854.

T o allwiom it may concern Be 1t known that I, LAUo J. CLnF'ro ot Uwatonna, Steele county, Minnesota, have linvented certain new and useful .Improve ments in Gas-Generators, of which the following is a specification.

The object ol'l my invention is to provide an improved form of. auxiliary carbid can which is easily accessible and can be filled or i which can be easily filled and operated.

The inventioneonsists generally in various constructions and combinations, all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings .forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of an acetylene generator -embodying my invention` Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of the upper portion of the generator, Fig. 3 is a plan view. of the carbid can, Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the auxiliary or supplemental car- "bid, can, Fig. 5 isa detail view ot' the valve which controls the discharge ot' the carbid from the can into the water in the tank beneath. Fig. G 1s a detail sectional view ot the gas purifying device.

In the drawing, 2 represents a tank adapted `to contain a supply of water and having auf open top provided with a supporting a ring v4;

cover 3 and uponwhich a second cover 5 is arranged. A chamber 5 is formed between the covers, serving as a dead aixl space, and when the generator is buried in the ground, only the upper cover will be eX@ posed and the carbid and the gas bell contained within the tank will be protected to a very large degree from exposure and heat and cold by the double arrangementof the covers and the dead air space between them.

lVithin the tank 2, below the level of the water, isa ring G, preferably of channel bar iron, supporting a series of legs 7 which are lvinclined inwardly and upwardly and are `held vin their proper relative position by means of a circular band 7 provided at the lower ends of the legs and by rings 8 and 9.

A band 10 is provided below the rings 6 and cooperates n ith the band 7 to direct the ascending gas toward the middle ot the tank carbid can 9.2.

and prevent it from passing up through the water between the tank and the gas bell.

l1 represents the gas bell, having a strengthening ring 12 at its lower end that is adapted to rest on seats 13 mounted on the legs 7', near the.` ring 6. The lower end of this bell is open to allow the gas to ascend therein Aas the carbid falls into the water in the tank, and the top of the bell has a cover 14 on which straps 15 are mounted which are adapted to interlock with lu s 16 secured to an annular Harige 17 at t e top of the gas bell 11. The flange 17 has a dependinder 19 to form an annularchamber 2O that -is adapted to contain a quantity of oil or similar sealing material and receive the depending tlange 21 on the cover 14. This seal between the cover and the cylinder inclosing the carbid can not only prevents the escape of gas around the cover but also allows thc removal ot' the cover and access to the carbid can at any time without removing or disturbing the gas bell. v This cylinder 19 is open at each cnd and is adapted to receive a carbid can 22 which has a hopper shaped lower end terminating in discharge openings 23.

A band 2l is secured to the legs 7 and incloscs thc uppcr portion of the carbid can ln its normal position the can .22 rests upon the ring 9. The carbid can has a tube Q5 centrally mounted therein and adapted to receive a valve stem Qli on which is mounted a disk 27 having holes 28 therein which register with thc discharge openings 23 inl in the basket, accorf'ling to .the position ot4 the rotating valve. fit thc upper end of the stem 2G is a crank 30 having a recess 31 therein and adapted to receive a pin 3Q on a lever 33 which is pivoted at 34 within a housing mounted on the closed top ot' the A weight 36 is provided at one end of the lever 33 and an arm 3T at the opposite end`r said arm projecting upwardly above the top of the housing normally and having an anti-friction bearing. The contact of the gas bell .with the arm 37 will rock the lever 33, swing the 'crank 3() and rotate the disk valve sufficiently to cause the holes 28 to register with those in the bottom of the carbid can. When this has been done the carbid will flow out of. thel can andv through a deiiecting ring 38 which has a centralf'open'ing and' is mounted within a pipe 39 which incloses the openings in the slower; en d of the gas can and is secured to the walls thereof. Evidently when the stein 26 isoscillated the valve will be turned also until its ports register -with those in the bottom of the can, when the carbid will flow freely therethrough and falling upon the .ringl38 will be Tdelecteditoward the center so that. the vcarbid will fall into the water at the center of the tank or at a point very close to the center.'v The ring'38 also acts as a batiie'to .prevent the-'water which might hoil'or splash up when the carbid strikes the'water from wetting the diskA 27.-v The, part 3 8 has pins 40 thereon which are adapt- `ed to enter bayonet slots 4l provided in the t ring";'. 39 for convenience inJassembling the parts Lor-separating them. Whenl'fthe gas bellfdlescends, as the gas supply decreases", it

- will; finally Contact with' the arm 37, tilting the leyer-33 and oscillating. the-valve dis to exppse the vopenings in the. bottom of. the

carbid-can and allow the carbid to How by gravity down-through the openings in the bottom thereofY and into the water in the tank.l

It sometimes happens-that the chargev of carbid in the can becomes exhausted during the evening or at some time when. it may p be extremely/.inconvenient or annoying to re-charge the can. Itherefo're provide an auxiliary or supplemental can adapted to con-tain 'a comparatively small amount of carbid and by means of which the person in charge of the generator can easily and quickly deliver a sufficient quantity. of carbid into the water in the tank to run the generator for several .hours .This auxiliary can consists of a receptacle 41 having a 'hopper bottoni provided with a discharge opening 42v normally closed by a valve 43 having a stem 44fthat is connected-to 4a lever v45 pivoted at 46 on the top of the receptacle. The lug 47 projects beyond the edge of this lever into the path of a vertically sliding rod 48 which has alower loop por.

tion depending into the tank and a lifting arm 49 which extends up between the tan( and the wall of the gas bell to a point where itcan be conveniently reached upon removing the covers 3 and It is onlynecessafry,l

therefore, for the person in charge ofthe 'generator' to raise the covers, pull up the .rod 49 and openV the-valve 43 to allow a sufficient quantity of the carbid to drop down in to the can'and from thence into the -tank to run the generater for several hours.

On one side of the tank is a pipe 50 through which the residue of the carbid may be pumped and if preferred, the tank may1 be suppliedl with water through this pipe. A pipe 5'1 is provided on the other side of the tank communicating at its upper end with the service pipe 52 and its lower end communicates with a pipe 53 within the generating tank. A purifying device v1s mounted. on the pipe and comprises a cup 54 adapted to contain a supply of water ,andv a cylinder 55 having its lower end depending into the water in the cup 54 and .forming a water seal therewith and provided with a cover 56 havinga seal 57.

The pipe 53 is open at its upper end and within the cylinder and inclosing pipe 53 is a quantity of purifying material I53,through which theA gas is' obliged to flow before it reaches the open upper end of the pipe 53.;

A screen 59 is preferably provided in the purifier and a series of vde-ilectors 60 are mounted therein between said screen and the cup 54, said defiectors compelling the gas to follow a tort-nous passage throughthe lower `portion of the purifier before Avalve is adapted to open communication between the generator and the service pipe and has an exhaust opening through which the 'gas in the system or in the tank may be discharged. i

AThe weighted lever having the crank connection with the valve stem shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, I do not claim in this application. but have included it in a pending case filed December 30, 1912. Serial No.

739,276,.ienewal Serial No. 811,280.

I claim as my invention l. An acetylene generator 'comprising a tank adapted to contain a supply of water, a carbid can supported within said tank and means for controllingthe discharge of the carbid from said can,-an auxiliary carbid can mounted in the tog of said first named canl andpartly within .it and having a discharge opening through which the carbid .from said auxiliary can is-discharged into said first named can, a valve for closing the discharge openingl 1n said auxiliary can,.a stem for said valve projectingthrough the ltop of said auxiliary can, a cover'for said tankbetweenl Which and said first named carbid can the upper portion of said auxiliary can projects to allow access to said auX- filiary valvey stem when said cover is removed. l

2.' An acetylene generator comprising. av

iso y Carbid from said' can, an auxiliar 'carbid can having a discharge opening an a valve therefor, and 'a cover, said auxiliary can being positioned partly within said carbid can, whereby filling of said auxiliary can is permitted Wit-hout opening Said carbid can.

3.L An acetylene generator comprising a tank adapted to contain a supply of Water, a carbid can having a discharge opening and means for controlling the discharge of carbid from said can, an auxiliary carbid can mounted in the top of said first named can and partly within it and having a discharge opening within said first named can and a filling opening on the outside thereof, and a cover for said auxiliary carbid can.

4. An acetylene generator comprising a tank adapted to contain la supply of Water, a carbid can mounted therein and having a discharge port, means for regulating the How of carbid from said can, an auxiliary carbid can arranged to discharge its contents into Said first named can, said auxiliai-y can being positioned partly within said carbid can, 'whereby filling of said auxiliary can -is 'permitted Without opening said carbid can, a valve normally closing the iow of carbid from said auxiliary can, and a rod within control of the operator for actuating said auxiliary can valve to release the carbid therein.

5. An acetylene generator comprising a tank adapted to contain a supply of water, a carbid can support-ed within said tank and having a discharge openin and means for controlling the discharge ot the carbid from said can, an auxiliary carbid can mounted in the top of said .first named can and projecting above the saine and having a discharge opening within said first named carbid can, a valve for said discharge opening, said auxiliary can being adapted to contain a night. charge of carbid and having a suitable opening and a. cover therefor, and means for operating the valve of said auxiliary carbid can through the top thereof, said auxiliaryy can beingr located partly Within said carb1d can and accessible for filling purposes without opening said first named carbid can.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 18th day of July 1912.

)LAUD J. CLEFTON.

v Witnesses W. ll. tiranni', AnnLixn C. Pan'rniuen. 

